Obama's State of the Union address seeks to frame 2016 race

FILE - In this Jan. 20, 2015, file photo, President Barack Obama delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, as Vice President Joe Biden applauds and House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio listens. Obama had some high profile victories last year, but his State of the Union proposals were not among them.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address will attempt to frame the choice Americans face as they select his successor. He'll dole out an optimistic vision for the country's future in contrast to what he sees as the pervasive pessimism in the Republican primary.

Obama won't directly appeal for Americans to keep Democrats in the White House. And he won't endorse a specific candidate.

But he will outline priorities that build on steps he's taken during his two terms in office. That a vision is certain to be more in line with Hillary Clinton and other Democrats than the GOP. The address marks a transition point of sorts for Obama. It's his last high-profile opportunity to speak to the public before voting begins on Feb. 1 in Iowa.